bmw-ix3-long-term-test-report-9

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the M8&nbsp;grand tourer, which costs more than £120,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has ten in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM, plus the electric iX3 and iX.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

The car BMW iX3 M Sport Pro Run by Steve Huntingford, editorWhy it's here We want to see if this large SUV is a great all-rounder, rather than a one-trick ponyNeeds to Combine its precise handling with comfort, refinement and range worthy of a £60k+ electric car

<hr />Mileage 4648 List price £65,865 Target Price £65,215 Price as tested £63,970 Test range 240 miles Official range 282 miles<hr /><h3>26 August 2022 – Compare and contrast</h3>In most respects, the fact that my <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> is based on a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">regular X3</a> is a good thing, because it means it offers the same strengths as that car – of which there are plenty.However, one downside is that you get less underfloor storage space in the boot, due to the need to accommodate the rear-mounted motor. There’s just a small area towards the back, which isn’t big enough to take the charging cables, meaning they have to share space with your shopping.

Still, after recently seeing the boot of a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-plug-in-hybrid-cars-2022/n22743">plug-in hybrid</a> X3 xDrive30e that was in on test, I’m feeling less hard done by. This has its battery towards the rear of the car (instead of under the occupants, as in the iX3) which has required BMW to raise the boot floor. The load space is smaller and shallower as a result. And you still can’t fit the charging cables beneath.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a><h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/bmw-ix3-long-term-test-report-8/n24922">Read more on our long-term BMW iX3 &gt;&gt;</a></h2><h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/class/long-term-tests">Read about more long-term test cars &gt;&gt;</a></h3>

The car BMW iX3 M Sport Pro Run by Steve Huntingford, editorWhy it's here We want to see if this large SUV is a great all-rounder, rather than a one-trick pony

Needs to Combine its precise handling with comfort, refinement and range worthy of a £60k+ electric car<hr />Mileage 4648 List price £65,865 Target Price £65,215 Price as tested £63,970 Test range 240 miles Official range 282 miles<hr /><h3>26 August 2022 – Compare and contrast</h3>In most respects, the fact that my <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/ix3/4x4/review/n22236">BMW iX3</a> is based on a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">regular X3</a> is a good thing, because it means it offers the same strengths as that car – of which there are plenty.However, one downside is that you get less underfloor storage space in the boot, due to the need to accommodate the rear-mounted motor. There’s just a small area towards the back, which isn’t big enough to take the charging cables, meaning they have to share space with your shopping.

BMW iX3 long-term test: report 9

This class is all about SUVs that run purely on electricity. No petrol, no diesel and not even any hybrid technology.

Relatively low-cost options include the MG ZS EV, but you can easily spend three times as much on more luxurious alternatives, such as the BMW iX.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Electric SUV

Earlier this year, we named the BMW iX3 the best electric SUV to drive, but how easy is it to live with?

BMW iX3 long-term test: report 9        

Audi is a brand that sets the standard for interior quality, and this, combined with its vast and ever-growing model line-up, has helped it become one of the ‘big three’ German prestige car makers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The A3 hatchback, A4 executive saloon and Q7 SUV are all common - yet upmarket - sights on UK roads.

At least some of Audi's success over the past 30 years can be attributed to the growth in sales of vehicles with four-wheel drive; the company arguably led the way in bringing 4x4 technology into the mainstream, with its Quattro coupé in the early 1980s.

Today, most Audis are available with at least the option of four-wheel drive, while the list of SUVs from the brand includes the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7.

AUDI

In many ways, modern Bentleys offer the best of both worlds, blending traditional British craftsmanship with modern mechanicals developed with the help of the company’s owner, Volkswagen.

The Bentayga SUV, for example, is closely related to Audi’s brilliantly engineered Q7 (another VW Group car). Yet the Bentayga still feels every inch a Bentley, thanks to its hand-finished interior and sonorous V8 engine.

Other Bentleys you can buy today include the Flying Spur&nbsp;saloon&nbsp;and the Continental GT coupé and convertible.

BENTLEY

Alpina has produced high-performance versions of BMW's range since the 1960s, and is now considered to be a manufacturer in its own right.

Whilst it cars are typically fast, and are often considered alternatives to BMW's M models, they are typically more comfortable with engines that provide a more relaxed power delivery.

Its models have similar naming conventions to the equivalent BMW: the B3 is based on the BMW 3 Series and the B4 Gran Coupé started life as a 4 Series Gran Coupé, for example.

BMW ALPINA

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

GENESIS

Hyundai has transformed itself from a maker of oddball hatchbacks that sold in small numbers in the UK, to a major rival to the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The Korean firm’s Ioniq Hybrid is particularly impressive, having beaten the trend-setting Toyota Prius when we tested the cars back to back.

Meanwhile, at the extremes of the Hyundai range you find the tiny i10 city car – a four-time What Car? award winner – and the stylish yet family-friendly Santa Fe SUV.

As a bonus, all of these cars come with the reassurance of a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, whereas most of Hyundai’s rivals offer only three years and 60,000 miles of cover.

HYUNDAI

INEOS

Jeep only makes SUVs, but it has plenty of them for you to choose from. So, whether you want something rugged enough to ford streams and climb mountains, or a more luxurious and family-friendly car, it has something to suit you.

Despite its all-American image, Jeep is actually owned by Fiat, meaning Jeeps often share parts with cars from the Italian giant; the entry-level Renegade, for example, has plenty in common with Fiat’s 500X.

However, perhaps the most widely recognised Jeep is the Wrangler, a model that has a dedicated fan base and which closely resembles the original Jeep which saw service in World War 2.

The brand’s future plans include new small and large SUVs, plus the introduction of fully electric models.

JEEP

Buyers seeking value for money should have Kia towards the top of their shopping list.

Although once a niche brand in the UK, today Kia outsells many more established brands, helped by its market-leading seven-year warranty and a strong reputation for reliability; in fact, Kia regularly finishes towards the top of our reliability surveys.

There are plenty of models to choose from, too, ranging from the small Picanto city car to the Ceed family hatchback and the Sorento large SUV. The Picanto was the first Kia to win its class at the What Car? Car of the Year awards.

Land Rover is synonymous with SUVs, and especially with the Defender – the rugged runabout that has seen service in war zones across the world, but also as part of the Queen’s personal garage.

If off-road prowess is one of Land Rover’s core values, though, the other is luxury. Indeed, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar are among the best luxury SUVs you can buy.

The Discovery, meanwhile, is a practical rival for the Audi Q7 and BMW X5, while the stylish Evoque (which is available as a three-door convertible as well as a traditional SUV) goes head to head with Audi’s Q3 and BMW’s X1.

In the coming years, we’ll see a new road-biased ‘Road Rover’ as well as an all-new Defender.

LAND ROVER

In the same way that Infiniti acts as Nissan’s premium arm, Lexus has a similar tie-in with Toyota. And since most of Toyota’s models are offered as hybrids, it’s no surprise to see the same from Lexus, although there are some traditional petrol engines, too.

The brand focuses heavily on SUVs – namely the NX and RX – but also has the CT hatchback, ES executive saloon and LS luxury car among its portfolio. More small and large SUVs are expected in the future.

Like Toyota, Lexus has built a very strong reputation for reliability and regularly finishes very close to the top of our annual Reliability Survey.

LEXUS

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

When it comes to making a statement about how successful you are, there is no brand that shouts “I’ve made it!” more emphatically than Rolls-Royce.

If that’s all you want from your car, look no further. The firm has expanded its range in recent years, with the top-of-the-range Phantom saloon being joined by the Cullinan SUV, and other models including the Wraith and Ghost.

Whichever way you go, if you have to ask how much it costs, the chances are you can’t afford it. And, even then, the base price is unlikely to be what you end up spending, such is the list of alluring options on offer.

It’s also a moot point whether the cars themselves – rather than the image they portray – represents the very best way to spend your money. What Car?’s testers rate all of them positively but reckon that – if you’re buying with your head rather than your heart – there are other cars that you should also consider.

ROLLS-ROYCE

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

Once best known for its flame-spitting, rally-bred Imprezas, Subaru’s focus now is on cars that will appeal to a far wider audience, and especially one that values go-anywhere ability and no-nonsense values above all others.

The result is a mixed bag of offerings, none of which rise beyond being average in their class but most of which have facets that make them stand out from their rivals. Core to its range are the Forester and Outback SUVs, while the Levorg is a more conventional estate.

At other extremes, there’s also the BRZ, an entertaining coupé that is let down by its price and resale values, and of course the Impreza, which comes in a variety of forms, including a hot model.

SUBARU

Suzuki is well known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but the car brand has been enjoying decent success in recent years, thanks to a line-up of neat, well-equipped and keenly priced models.

Its expertise focuses on smaller cars, although its high-riding SUV range is also hugely credible, especially the Ignis and Vitara, which are both rated highly by What Car?’s testers and which have enjoyed success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

Well priced, decent to drive and full of useful tech, Suzuki’s cars also generally stand out for delivering good fuel economy. The Ignis, Celerio and Baleno have all stood head and shoulders above the competition during our True MPG testing.

SUZUKI

Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.

That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.

However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.

TOYOTA

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

Volvo is now a true rival to the likes of Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, offering an alternative take on premium executive cars to a rapidly growing fanbase.

After a string of strong launches – notably with the Mk2 XC90 and XC60 SUVs – it struck gold in early 2018 when it launched its smallest SUV, the XC40. When our testers compared the car with its rivals, they concluded that it was the best launch of the previous 12 months, earning it our coveted overall Car of the Year Award.

The good news is that, like many car makers, Volvo now uses the same structure underneath most of its cars – so if they get it right on one model, it usually bodes well for the rest. That’s the case here, with Volvo’s subsequent saloon and estate launches complementing the SUVs and making for a generally extremely appealing line-up.

VOLVO

X3 M

The top-of-the-range M Sport Pro trim takes the long list of goodies from the entry-level trim and adds 20in alloy wheels, high-beam assist, adjustable lumbar support, a head-up display, an upgraded Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system and the Hans Zimmer designed IconicSounds acceleration effects. 

M Sport Pro

The BMW iX3&nbsp;electric SUV marked a change of direction for the German brand – at least when it came&nbsp;to building cars that run on batteries.

What do we mean by that? Well, when the iX3 first showed up, BMW’s only previous EV (electric vehicle) was the much smaller i3 hatchback, which was built from the ground up to run on electricity.

The i3 had oddball looks, a lightweight carbon-fibre construction and fancy rear-hinged back doors. At the time it seemed like the future had come early – in fact, too early for most car buyers, as EVs didn’t catch on as quickly as many had anticipated.

Now, of course, it's looking pretty likely that electric motoring isn't just an appealing alternative to petrol and diesel cars, but is also likely to replace it altogether at some point (for most of us, anyway).

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqZ-VA68_R8" width="560"></iframe>

What <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> also discovered from the i3 was that not all buyers&nbsp;want their EV to look different to a 'regular' car. So the iX3, as you might well have guessed already, is&nbsp;essentially an electric version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/review/n42">BMW X3</a>.

It has no complex carbon-fibre construction or unconventional styling. In fact, the only things that mark it out visually from petrol and diesel versions are the&nbsp;solid plastic grille, aerodynamic alloy wheels and a smattering of blue highlights.

Perhaps more pertinently if you're thinking of buying one, the BMW iX3 has a long range, the ability to charge up quickly and, despite its premium credentials, a relatively tempting price tag.

How does the iX3 compare with some of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-electric-suvs-2022/n23038">best electric SUVs</a> available&nbsp;– notably&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/e-tron/estate/review/n18397">Audi E-tron</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/i-pace/estate/review/n122">Jaguar I-Pace</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/eqc/4x4/review/n19377">Mercedes EQC</a>? And is it a better buy than lower-riding alternatives, such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-3/saloon/review/n19010">Tesla Model 3</a>? This review will tell you everything you need to know.

When you’ve decided which make and model you do want to buy, make sure you find the best price available by using our free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying Service</a>. It could save you thousands of pounds, and features plenty of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/electric">new electric car&nbsp;deals</a>.

Practical, good to drive and has a longer range than its closest rivals

BMW iX3

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals.

The best of the breed offer sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test cycle.

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BMW iX3 long-term test: report 9

Earlier this year, we named the BMW iX3 the best electric SUV to drive, but how easy is it to live with?...

26 August 2022 – Compare and contrast

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